Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Notes From the Gospel of Luke

Here are a few notes I've written in the margins of my Bible while reading the Gospel of Luke. I've also added further explanations for clarification.


Margin Notes From the Gospel of Luke
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"and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day" Luke 2:37.

Margin Note: Anna was not a bitter old woman but a woman of faith.

Expanded: What a remarkable woman--God honored Anna by mentioning her faith in His Bible.

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"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels" 9:26.

Margin Note: Those who reject Jesus' salvation. --the unbelievers-- & cross reference: Hebrews 10:29-31.

Expanded: I have often seen this verse used as a threat on a few Social Media sites, mostly against Christians, that to prove you are not ashamed of Jesus you must Like/Share/Repost the meme. Which is absolutely silly.
     In reality, those in trouble with for being ashamed are unbelievers. It is speaking to those who reject Jesus as God and Savior. They will not be accepted by Jesus or the Father, and even the angels Jesus brings with Him, which are merely the servants of God.
     To be an embarrassment to God's lowly household servants is something of which to be ashamed!

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"And He was casting out a demon,... 11:14

No margin note but I do have this comment:
     This made me smile when I read it. It just struck me as so simple a thing for God to do and yet it was important for the Holy Spirit to record it in the Bible for us to understand the control that God has over the evil forces in this world.

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"He also spoke this parable: 'A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none' 13:6.

Margin note: Longsuffering/Patience & cross reference 2 Peter 3:9

Expanded: Luke 13:6-9 is the full parable of the fruitless fig tree and is a great picture of God's longsuffering toward us. His grace is immeasurable.

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"therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?" 16:11.

No margin note but this comment:
     In Luke16, Jesus unfolds the parable of the unjust steward and Lazarus and the rich man. I have heard sermons on each of these separately, yet, what I understand is they are teaching the same thing.
     The tying verses are "So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourself by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail. they may receive you into an everlasting home" 16:8,9.
     God says Christians need to think shrewdly with the money we receive in this world, not as the unjust steward, but as good stewards toward the things of heaven.
     The rich man did many things for himself in this world before he died, yet it did absolutely nothing for him in the torments of hell fire.
     Think about how poor Lazarus carefully spent his money, even the tiny crumbs of what he could get begging. How he must have carefully used everything he bought, or received by the hand of anyone's donation.
     Bible teaching, God-fearing Churches today regularly work on very little finances, yet God says that we can actually use our gifts and tithes to our advantage and for the kingdom of God--and with Jesus' quote of Abrahams' and the rich man's words in vss 29-31, we know that preaching the gospel is the most important work for which we need to have finances.
     I think of Paul. He didn't enter a city with programs to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, or house the homeless--he entered a city with the purpose to preach the gospel. That was what his finances were for--the furtherance of the gospel!
     When people are saved after hearing the gospel--then God feeds them, clothes them and houses them. It just happens that way.

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What are some of the verses in Luke you have purposefully marked, or some notes you have written in your Bible?
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